The Mockingbird

We have a little tree/bush in the patio garden that is safely tucked away in the corner. It has a lot of good sized blue berries of some kind growing on it. Since the fenced in area is a relatively safe space for the birds that come to visit, they also pick up a lot of peripheral nest material, and stop off at the solar birdbath for a sip of water and a bath. It's interesting to observe the behavior and rank order- the mourning doves, sparrows, cardinals, wrens, and mockingbirds. The other day I saw the mockingbird swoop in to the corner where he rested and treated himself to a snack- in one gulp. When he was done, he went to the birdbath, and had a sip, to get that huge berry down, and then flew off to who knows where. This space does not compare to the relatively large patio and acre of land we had in Wisconsin, but the birds continue to put on a show, which is always a treat to watch.

Grabbing a berry

Must be good because he's back every day

Taking a sip of water before the next move

The Poor Things?

Last week there was a tree in the neighborhood in full bloom one day, followed the next day by the same tree in bloom with snow surrounding it. For the most part, the winter has been quite mild this year, for which I am forever grateful. Mild winters here were a good reason we left Milwaukee after thirty years of winter all year 'round. (Although we NEVER had 2 feet of snow within one week!) In my little garden that faces the south, it gets sun for a good chunk of the day, and the bulbs have already started to emerge. I just hope that they can withstand whatever winter that is left has to bring. But I need an opportunity to edit the space as soon as the real spring arrives. Last year I was so eager to plant my Monticello seeds, but none of them tolerated the very cool spring of last year. This year we saved some seeds from a really pretty flowering plant that neither of us remembers the name. Maybe we'll have better luck this time?

The hydrangeas are budding and the bulbs are popping up

Let's hope that they can stand whatever comes next

The African Violet never looked so good!

The Last Hurrah

The tomato plant took over the garden this year. It was overwhelming. That would have been okay if at least we had a decent crop. The extraordinary rain and the cold may have had something to do with it, and a lot of people I've spoken to said their tomatoes were not good this year either. Today, my husband finally removed the plant, but saved what was left. We've tried putting the green tomatoes next to bananas; someone else mentioned putting them in a brown bag with bananas. None of this has worked. But we couldn't just throw out the plant with all of the tomatoes still on it. Now, the cucumber vines were another story... the harvest was all season long and the cucumbers were absolutely delicious. If there is not a formal garden, we don't understand why everyone does not at least plant one vegetable in a pot. One of my colleagues, who recently lost his mother-in-law (who loved to garden), said that even towards the end, she would want to be taken out to the patio to sit and just watch the cucumbers grow. That is just so poetic, and brings a little tear to the eye.

They look more like lemons or pears

One looks like it's starting to turn? Just my imagination

The garden never looked so good!

MONTICELLO SEEDS TO SOW

It was a little warmer over the last couple days, and due to be really nice by Friday. Impatient as I am to get my garden going, I wanted to plant the seeds from Monticello. I'm sure there are ten times more seeds in those packs than this little garden can handle. But I also know that only a few strong ones really make it past the infant stage. So, rather than just scattering the seeds around and hoping for the best, I made little "plots" of the same kind of seed, saved the envelopes they came in, covered the envelopes in plastic, and stuck them in the ground to remind me where I put them all. Let's hope for some really pretty Thomas Jefferson plants. and flowers... it's fun to think that the guy actually walked around this neighborhood! The growing season was so short up North- it's still snow covered there now. But everyone here has allergies. We were told that if you never had allergies before you moved here, you will definitely have them within 5 years. Everything does grow beautifully here, but there is a price to pay.

Hoping for a 10-20 foot vine out of this one!
(back there by the fence)

BULBS AND MONTICELLO SEEDS

Today was wonderfully sunny and bright. The bulbs I put in when we first moved here are beginning to pop. We planted hyacinths, and some tulips/daffodils. It makes me want to start sowing the seeds we got at Monticello last summer. I'm planning to throw the whole bunch in a very random fashion and see what comes up. The pack we got is called "Monticello's Birds, Bees & Butterflies Sampler," and includes Hollyhocks, Bloodflower, Butterfly Weed, Foxglove, Spider Flower, Purple Coneflower, and Blanket Flower. I had several large gardens in my northern homestead, and tended to them from the first sign of spring to fall- but the season was soooooo short. It was also a lot of work! This little patio garden is obviously much smaller, but every year it's feeling lot a lot of work, but at least it lasts sooooooo much longer! I probably have enough seeds for a much bigger space, but let's hope some of them take. I absolutely love Monticello, and have been there three times in the last 30 years- once in the dead of winter, the heat of summer, and the early fall. And every time was a memorable experience.

Hoping for a green thumb this year

The hyacinths have never failed me!

The beautiful Monticello gardens